Valentine’s Special: Phrases with ‘Love’ and ‘Heart’

The 14th February is Saint Valentine’s Day. A day on which many parts of the world celebrate romantic love. Although St. Valentine, who lived in the 3rd Century AD, didn’t have any connection to the world of romance himself, it appears that 15th and 16th century English writers, such as Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare, began to associate the date with love in their poems and plays. Today, many people give cards, chocolates and flowers to their romantic partners or love interests. In some places, people have begun to give gifts to non-romantic partners as well, such as in the United States, where many schoolchildren make and give cards to each other.

To celebrate, this week we will look at some common phrases that use ‘love‘ and ‘heart‘.

To be in love – I don’t have the authority to say what being in love really is, but it is often described as an intense feeling of affection for a romantic partner.

I fell in love with your mother in the Summer of 1973. And I never stopped loving her!

True love – Whether you believe it comes from the heart, or is just a science, true love is supposed to be pure, ever-lasting and unconditional.

“True love is eternal, infinite, and always like itself. It is equal and pure, without violent demonstrations: it is seen with white hairs and is always young in the heart.” – Balzac

Puppy Love – This term is used by older people to describe attraction between adolescents. It is a bit condescending. It doesn’t have anything to do with dogs.

Have you seen the way Marie and Eric look at each other? Haha. That’s puppy love.

From the bottom of my heart – This phrase can be used as a promise, or to show that you mean something sincerely and deeply.

I believe that the best option for you is to change jobs, from the bottom of my heart.

Broken heart – This is the feeling that someone may have when experiencing a great loss, or sense of intense longing.

When my first girlfriend broke up with me, she broke my heart. It took me 6 months to get over it.

With a heavy heart – This phrase is used to show when something affects you deeply or emotionally, particularly in times of distress or sorrow.

It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that Mr. Price passed away a few days ago. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Good heart / Kind heart / Big heart– All of these terms describe a person who is very kind, gentle and open.

Mrs. Spears has such a kind heart! She always hands out food to the poor in the Winter.

No heart / Cold heart – Exactly the opposite of the options above, these words describe someone who is cruel or lacks empathy.

Trump doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He has no heart.

Change of heart – This means to change opinion, or the way that you feel on a topic. It does not necessarily have to be about something emotional.

Mark had a change of heart and decided that he would make tapas instead of the traditional Christmas barbecue.

In a heartbeat – Really fast! This can be used instead of the often said ‘ASAP’ (As Soon As Possible).

Jane, can I borrow your calculator? I’ll give it back to you in a heartbeat.

Do you know any other terms using ‘love’ or ‘heart’? Do you have any questions about the phrases above? What do people do for Valentine’s Day in your area? If you don’t have a romantic partner, would you say ‘I love you’ to someone else on this day? Let us know in the comments section below!